Aztec Empire

The Aztec Empire (1428-1521), also called the Triple Alliance (Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan, and Texcoco), was a confederation of Nahua-speaking city-states that was located in central Mexico in North America. Known for their vast numbers of zealous soldiers, the Aztec Empire was known to sacrifice their captured prisoners on an altar to please the Gods, and fought other nations in the Flowery Wars just for captives. They were conquered by guns, germs, and steel in 1521 by the Spanish Empire.

History
After the Tepanecs were conquered, the three city-states of Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan, and Texcoco made an alliance that became known as the "Aztec Empire". The Aztecs were centered at Tenochtitlan, which became a large city that was infested with millions of people from across the Empire. However, as their population grew it also decreased, as the Aztecs used captives captured in their Flowery Wars as well as their own people as human sacrifices to appease the Gods. Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II led the empire to its zenith by 1519, using sheer numbers and zeal to overpower many of his foes.

However, in 1521 the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico with a small army, intent on taking over some land for himself. Cortes and his small force were bolstered by the Tlaxcalans, and although many Spanish were massacred in the Night of Sorrows, they won at Otumba and then at the Fall of Tenochtitlan, where they took over the city. However, the Aztecs continued to resist along with the Mayans, Chichimec, and Tarascans until 1697.